Giving items to museums and access to collections

I have been interested in the ongoing discussion about donating
mechanical music and associated material to museums.  I must say
I do not recognise many of the comments about access to collections
held in museums by MMD's.

I have worked professionally in museums for over 20 years in the UK.
Museums and galleries in the UK, to receive funding and recognition,
have to become registered under a scheme run by Re-ource, a government
department.

The criteria required for registration, i.e., to become a registered
museum, are very comprehensive.  There are many conditions that have
to be met before registration is granted.  The status is reviewed
regularly and the museum or gallery has to have trained curators
holding a relevant professional qualification such as the Museum
Association ( the UK Museum Professional Body) associateship which
includes the requirement of  continual professional development.

The conditions of registration also state that there has to be a
Collection Policy / Collection Management agreement.  This lists what
is collected, how it is looked after, the access that is available and
many other criteria including documentation.

A statement has to be adopted with regard to disposal which in fact
states that items can not be disposed of.  In exceptional circumstances
they are transferred to another relevant Registered organisation, but
never just sold.   Even then that can only happen when the donor has
allowed for this in his agreement.

When we accept items into the collection, we have a meeting of the
curatorial and access staff.  The depositor has to sign a Transfer
of Title form where any special conditions can be listed.  Other
agreements can be made when a complete collection is donated or comes
to the museum as the result of a bequest. this could be in the form of
a legal document drawn up between the depositors solicitor and our
solicitors.

We have to give reasonable access to the collections.  This can mean
many things.  The initial access point will be the collections database
which includes images of everything even letters and documents (well, we
are working through them; not all are digitised yet).  We never say no
to access to any item, although sometimes access is restricted, e.g.,
no handling, the wearing of gloves, the use of page turners.

Once an enquirer has found out what they would like to see.  We then
arrange an appointment at _their_ convenience to visit and see the item
or items.  Obviously this is where items are not on show.  Whether it
is a multi-million pound painting, a gramophone, a photograph, a
document or whatever, we will always allow access.  I do not know of
a museum in the area where I live that does not operate in a similar
way.

Saying this, we would limit to access to objects that are in a very
serious state of repair and where any handling could cause major
deterioration.  I have worked in museums where some musical instruments
have been included in the collections.  I have always felt that the
instruments must be heard and seen operating, but only when their
existence for future generations is not compromised.

Many museums in the UK have two types of collections: a formally
accessioned collection of items that must be kept for future
generations and not allowed to deteriorate wherever possible, and
then there are handling collections.  This is a collection that can
literally be handled, used, demonstrated.  This does not mean that
in the future the handling collection could not become formally
accessioned with all the exacting legal requirements that are then
necessary.

I personally feel that some examples should be kept and preserved
for the future and either not played or only played very sparingly,
while another example could be acquired to fully demonstrate.
I believe a recording is not any good.

With music rolls and ephemera they should be kept in archival
conditions and stored in appropriate material, i.e., acid free.
All our storage areas are air conditioned.  They also have special
machinery to remove oxygen when the fire alarms go off, therefore
stifling any potential flames.  The material is then safe and looked
after.

With modern web access, electronic databases with images it is not
always necessary to give access to original items, as many researchers
are after the information in a document rather than actually in the
original document.  For example, we may be looking at a photograph
we are probably not interested in the processes used -- the type of
photographic print, i.e. albumen.  We are probably really interested
what the instrument shows.  Digitisation allows access and conservation
as the less light and handling a photograph the longer it will last.

I believe a mixture of _real_ objects, with interpretation and
demonstrations with the use of modern interactive technology, can be
brought together to give a holistic approach the preservation of
collections.

As the result of modern technology, today I had a visit from a lady
from New Zealand.  She found that we had a certain collection of items
while searching our online databases over the 'Net.  The site allowed
her to see a comprehensive database record.  She then emailed me and
asked to see the item and three weeks later she came into the museum
and saw the original material and was delighted.

I think that there are professional museums and museums that are not
true museums but private collections open to the public.  Always ask
questions and examine any organisation's constitution.  A true public
museum is there for the public -- to give access to the material to the
exhibits, to interpret, to teach, to be repository of a communities
history, life and its actual being.

I personally find that enthusiasts can sometimes be the worst type of
person to work or run a public museum in their specific field.  This
is whether we are talking about music or cars or paintings or whatever.
A museum needs to collect with care and consideration, and not because
a curator has a specific passion.  In my view all these types of
collections should be seen as part of the social history of a country
or civilisation.

So please speak to your local and national museums when you are
considering donating a collection.  In the UK look for the Registered
Museum designation; they are duty bound to advise you and answer all
your queries, and perhaps to tell you that a collection would be better
placed in X museum rather than Y museum.

Certainly ask all the relevant questions and, if you need clarification,
always get it in writing.  Ask for a copy of the Collections Policy,
any Forward Plan, not forgetting a copy of the organisation's governing
body's constitution.  Many now also have education and access policies
so ask about this as well.  In the UK never donate anything to a museum
or gallery that is not registered.

Jonathan Holmes